The One Truth
by oreopoptart
Summary: Quiet and distant Scorpius Malfoy and his best friend, popular but reserved Albus Potter, are hiding something from each other. Although smiling on the outside, each boy is crumbling, straining their friendship in attempt to hide their secrets. S/A.
1. Casualties

**CHAPTER ONE: THE CASUALTIES**

Scorpius Malfoy knew he was in trouble. It didn't matter how many times he went over the situations in his head, nor did it matter how long he lay in bed at night cursing himself, and so what if he stared at blank papers in classes so often? No amount of thinking seemed to help him out of his problem—well, to be honest, it wasn't _really_ a problem. In fact, this _problem _was so exquisitely great it couldn't possibly be called one. Maybe it was just easier for him to think it was, even if deep in his heart he knew he was the only thing standing in the way of solving it.

The trouble he was in was all because of one person._ Only one_. This person could change his mood for the day, get him to do things he'd never do, and put a genuine smile on his face with just a blink of the eyes. It wasn't hard for the name to cross his mind, to float along the brighter parts, to swirl through and repeat too many times for him to count.

_Albus Severus Potter. _

Either it had him release a soft sigh or to have his teeth grit in frustration. He could never be angry with Al, never in a millennium—it was himself he was furious with.

Scorpius suffered from the fact he could be jeopardizing their friendship every time he opened his mouth. If it wasn't obvious enough already, he fancied Al _a bit too much_. His feelings balanced in a precautious manner, teetering between best friends and some not-so-innocent thoughts. Okay, he'd admit it, his thoughts were as any innocent as any other boy his age! Except he wasn't interested in girls—just Al. If he were completely honest with himself, Scorpius perhaps could even laugh a little about the entire thing. To be gay for one's best friend… It was like a horribly crafted romance novel! But, to him, it was real life and no laughing matter.

Thus it was safe to say that Scorpius Malfoy wasn't exactly _normal_. The fact he liked his best friend wasn't the abnormality, it was the way he handled it. Instead of having addressed the problem long before, he let it fester away like an untreated wound—a wound that was slowly swallowing his will to fight it. It didn't help that whenever Al neared any type of closer-than-usual proximity, it was like sprinkling salt on _everything_ and Scorpius had to always step away. Guilt gnawed at him if he let Al linger there. His friend didn't deserve to have the other thinking of him in any other way than a friend, especially if he were so close.

In the roundabout, everything always landed back to square one. One: mindfully reject any personal contact with Al whether his accidental doing or the other's, two: watch his words so nothing questionable comes out, and three: try desperately to keep his head around him. He couldn't have Al worry over him! If he ever asked _why _Scorpius seemed upset sometimes-!

_But Al's really cute when he's worried._

The blonde boy groaned loudly and rolled over in his bed. It was too early to be thinking about how terrible a best friend he was _and _for the beginnings of some girl-ish thoughts about Al. The grey of his eyes were darkened from lack of sleep and they were half-lidded in exhaustion. After clearing the blur from them, noticeable warmth crawled up his neck when seeing he was now facing Al's bed. Surely Al wasn't lewd (like him) and thought he was- when he groaned-? No, no, he wouldn't (right?). Scorpius shook his head to rid of the doubts – they fluttered at the back of his mind now – and shifted in his sheets.

Based on the amount of light coming across Al's bed sheets from the window, the sun was still making its climb up and the night sky was a milky color. Slowly the ashen glow of his eyes traveled across the bed until they rested on a head full of fluffy black hair. The darkest shadow of Al's bedpost fell directly over the other's face. Scorpius held in the sigh he almost made. When Al slept, he made the cutest expressions—n-not that Scorpius _watched_ him or anything.

The Slytherin wriggled in his sheets, his subconscious berating him for possibly making him look that he really _had_ been doing _things_, before settling comfortably on his stomach. Pressing his face into his pillow, the boy shut his eyes tight and tried to will himself to go to sleep. Regardless of how Al looked when he worried, Scorpius did _not _want to explain why he had such a hard time trying to sleep that night.

It seemed that sleep wasn't as hard to come to him as he thought, and its gentle lulls wooed him into a dreamless slumber. One small lock of blond hair fell across his forehead and the faintest smile smoothly formed on his lips.

_Lalala~_

Scoripus Malfoy was in trouble. He liked his best friend, Albus Potter. Little did he know his daily routines with Al were about to change—but for better or worse?

Time would tell.

**A/N: Hello everyone! First chapter of this ff is brought to you by ChocoFrosty—or Poptart. I hope everyone will enjoy this as Oreo and I will be, and hopefully will look forward to more updates! Thank you for reading and please stay tuned for Al's side of the story!**


	2. Difficulties

**A/N: Hi! Oreo (Samantha72) here with Al's side of the story! Just to explain a few things, these first two chapters are actually the prologue. Chapter three begins the actual story, and Poptart and I will be alternating every other chapter. She writes Scorpius, and I write Al. Now on with the story! **

**CHAPTER TWO: THE DIFFICULTIES**

Albus Potter was a Slytherin for a reason. He was no stranger to lies and secrecy. And Gryffindor courage? Yeah, he definitely didn't have any of that. When it came to owning up to how he felt and letting people in, he ran into some problems. How could he be honest with anyone else when he wasn't even honest with himself?

It had never really been a problem before. His friends would ask him what he was thinking, and he'd say nothing. Then the subject would drop. The thing is, hardly anyone _actually_ cared. And the one person that he knew cared the most? He was kind of the center of Al's current problem.

He and Scorpius had always been best friends- since that very first day on the Hogwarts Express. Their friendship had always been easy; simple. _Not anymore,_ Al thought ruefully. It hadn't been simple for a while now. Around their third year, Al had begun to realize a few things. The most important being that Scor was actually rather attractive. He'd blamed his thoughts on hormones, and tried his damndest to get the taller boy out of his head, but he just thought about him more and more as time went on...

He was one of few people that knew Scor's sexual preference. Not that that changed the fact that he couldn't do anything about his feelings for the boy. Their friendship was the most important thing in the world to Al. Just because Scorpius liked blokes didn't mean he liked _Al_. If Al told him how he felt, everything would change. Scor wouldn't want anything to do with him.

He had a sneaking suspicion that Scor might already know, though. He was always flinching away when Al got too close, and he looked uncomfortable whenever he touched him. Al felt bad whenever that happened- he tried to resist the urge to just casually touch the other boy, he really did!

_He's too attractive for his own good, _he thought bitterly.

But he had to resist. Scorpius's friendship was so much more important than admitting his schoolgirl-esque crush. Scor wasn't the only reason Al couldn't own up to anything, though. He wasn't even out of the closet! His parents would both have heart attacks if he suddenly came home with a _boyfriend_. And the school? Al had tons of friends, but he knew. They wouldn't accept him. If he so much as hinted that he was gay, nobody would want to even be near him!

A rustling in the bed next to his jarred Al out of his thoughts. Was Scor awake? The blonde groaned in answer to his unspoken question. Wait- groaning?

He resisted the urge to turn and look at his friend. Scor wasn't actually...? He wondered idly who his friend was thinking about. Was it too much to hope that it was him? Probably.

Al sighed dejectedly. It was still early- he really should be going back to sleep... Glancing out the window, Al watched the sun rise with a hopeful smile. Sleep was reluctant to come, leaving the middle Potter child very much awake with his thoughts. Maybe everything would turn out alright.

_Lalala~_

Maybe everything _would_ be alright in the end, but things were about to change, and quick. Whether Al could handle it or not is another subject entirely.


	3. Tripping

**CHAPTER THREE: TRIPPING**

It had been immensely hard waking up the next morning. Scorpius trudged around slower than a snail, yawning every few steps as he grabbed his robes and combed his hair. Al, too, was incredibly slow moving. He was usually energetic as he went about getting ready. The Malfoy didn't question his friend about it, however, deciding that he still had things to order in his head when dealing with him.

It was as they were walking down the halls that the blood starting running and the drowsiness smoothed out. Al grinned beside him, telling jokes and laughing after he'd told them—even when they weren't funny. It was easier than predicted interacting with the green-eyed boy, especially after nearly spending an entire night analyzing their friendship and what-ifs. Breakfast was soon to come and Scorpius wasn't quick enough to stop the chuckle from escaping him when Al swiped up the biggest cinnamon bun and crushed it to his mouth. The Potter blinked those two round eyes and they gleamed for a moment (Scorpius knew it was laughter behind the confection), before flopping down in his seat.

Scorpius daintily ate his meal as Al began to chat; his appetite wasn't as big as his friend's. He was never really a breakfast person—and remembering some of the thoughts from last night killed any need for it. The blonde ate his food in content as he watched Al stuff himself with an endless amount of tarts, going on and on about anything and everything. Some part of Scorpius felt as if it was forced, but he pushed the thought away.

Al was in mid-sentence when he leaned close to reach for French toast. Scorpius held his tongue as a few black strands of Al's hair brushed his chin, the shorter boy's arm outstretched for the slices. The Malfoy shifted somewhat and within a blink of the eye Al was reseated. The boy was licking some of the excess syrup in a type of awkward concentration.

"Anyway, she gave us this Charm and told us to write the entire history behind it for an essay, but then Peter said—"

The end of Al's sentence was drowned out by a sharp prickle that shot down Scorpius' spine. It was that familiar feeling of someone watching you. The reason why—hell if he knew. The blonde slowly let his gaze shift away from Al's face, allowing it to wander absentmindedly over the sea of students. Why would anyone be paying attention to him in a crowded room? A second later an obvious thought occurred to him. Maybe they weren't watching _him_. He was nothing but another rich privileged student attending Hogwarts. Al was son of the famous Harry Potter, savoir of both Muggles and wizards alike. All of the Potter children were extensively popular for reasons he didn't really think too much about.

"—rpius? _Scooorrrr_?" A hand was waving in his face and the blonde's attention snapped back. "What the hell are you looking around for? You missed the good part," Al said, frowning.

Scorpius picked up his glass of juice and took a sip before replying. "I just thought I heard my name," he lied easily. Slytherin specialty.

Al huffed -rather cutely- before taking a long drink from his milk. Given the opportunity, Scorpius' grey orbs scanned the surroundings until they rested on a girl who had risen from the Gryffindor table. Brown caught his eyes and a strange expression crossed her face—normal disgust and something else. Being a Slytherin and accustomed to the House rivalry, he raised a brow and smirked at her, as if _daring_ her to do something. The girl looked outraged and whipped around, stalking out into the school and leaving a couple of her curious friends behind. Typical Gryffindors. Blast their so-called _courage_.

Although having not caught the on-looker, he turned his attention back to Al. His friend was now wiping his face with a napkin and gathering his stuff together. "You didn't talk much," the Potter commented, turning and casting those green eyes on Scorpius. He seemed a bit confused over the other's late reactions all morning, and if not confused, something else too.

"Ah, really?" Scorpius paused, wondering how to get by this one, "I've just been thinking about things." It was all right to admit that, wasn't it?

Al blinked once before adverting the emerald to the book in his hands- part of Scorpius ached to have them turned back. "Things?" he piped up, sliding the book into his bag.

The blonde grabbed his own bag and put it on his shoulder. "Yeah, just work. We said we'd go somewhere later so I'm trying to figure out if I'll have assignments." Scorpius was actually pretty proud of the lie—but _lying to Al_ wasn't something to be proud of.

Al had a mixture of expressions on his face when he lifted his head. Scorpius personally couldn't pick anything apart to his irritation. Glancing at the teachers, he got to his feet and so did Al, and then they were off to the main hallways. When they reached a certain section where the hall split, they said good-bye, knowing they'd meet up again later.

Scorpius chewed on the inside of his cheek as he made his way down some stairs, wondering why the bloody hell he couldn't maintain any normalcy when talking to Al during breakfast. What was he doing? Looking all around for someone who might not have been even watching them? Frustrated, a scowl came to his face and people moved around him to stay out of his way. It was normal in Hogwarts to know that Scorpius Malfoy usually had an ugly temper with anyone other than his friends.

Ripping open the door to his first class, he knew that he had to figure out a way to fix this problem of his before he couldn't hold himself back anymore.

**-d i f f i c u l t i e s –**

Scorpius had a hard time controlling what he directed his anger toward in his classes that day- friends, teachers, and there were times he'd just completely ignore everything all together. Potions got the worst of it seeing as it was the final thing he had to attend. The blonde purposely allowed a full cauldron to fall to the floor when his teacher wasn't looking, the contents splashing out and having the other students stop in their work. When asked what happened, he said through gritted teeth, _it slipped_.

When dismissed, he snatched his bag and left the classroom with the other students allowing him some distance. The muscle in his jaw was jumping repeatedly and the grey of his eyes smoldered. Everything was just so _stupid_. _Life_ _was stupid._ He had been slightly placid and rather worrisome when he had developed that awkward desire for Al – his best mate, the closest one, the middle Potter – but now things had gotten to him. His feet moved on their own down the corridors as his thoughts sizzled away. As he slipped through the quieter places his infuriation began to subside bit by bit.

Earlier he was positive the world had been stupid… but in truth it was just him. He was the idiot.

"_Scorpius_? What are you doing?"

The Malfoy started, realizing he was just standing in a deserted hallway. Turning on his heel, he came face to face with—

Green. Very _green_.

He had developed a fascination with green. No shade ever matched up to his favorite type of it. He liked to admire the way it could glow or darken, always pretty in any amount of light.

"Al," was all he could say.

The Potter cocked his head and a half-smile came to his face; it was almost unsure, mostly curious. "We were supposed to meet over there," he pointed in the opposite direction. Al's smile flickered when he added, "You didn't come, so I looked around for you."

Scorpius scrambled for an excuse. "I just—I—" He'd been lying so much lately, it felt as if his tongue was plagued with sticklers. "I got my Potion's teacher angry with me. I destroyed one of her cauldrons," he finally said. "I just wasn't thinking."

Al nodded and Scorpius prayed that he wasn't seeing any scrutinizing coming from the black-haired boy. It wasn't unusual his temper got the best of him, it was just it was much worse than usual.

"It looks like you had a rough day," Al said after they'd started walking down their usual path. He felt his eyes widen and he fought the urge pour out the details. He snuck a glance at Al's face and felt the smallest twinge of guilty happiness from seeing the worried expression. Cute, as suspected.

"You could say that."

"Wanna talk about it?"

Scorpius grunted a negative. As his best friend, Al accepted that and they continued their way. However, unlike this morning, their conversation was noticeably strained. _Secrets, secrets._

When they reentered the busier part of the school, they wandered down to the courtyard to enjoy some of the sun. Scorpius tried his best to be brighter and in response Al lightened up as well. It was just as they laughed over a good joke about Moaning Myrtle that the crowd of students walking near them stumbled back, allowing one in particular to cut through.

"_YOU!_"

Scorpius and Al turned to get a good look at whomever the insane person was who screamed.

Before both boys stood a heavily panting girl with her hood on, hiding her face. She tossed her head back and the hood slid down, and just as quick she withdrew her wand, pointing it up at the two of them with vicious speed. Scorpius felt Al rear up beside him in surprise—clearly not expecting her fury to be directed at them. The Malfoy had already scanned the crowd by this time, coming to terms with the situation but not sure what the purpose of it was. The hell was this? Who was she? His first instinctive movement was to shift to stand in front of Al.

"You're disgusting!" She spat. The girl had neatly cropped black hair at her shoulders and the craziest of blue eyes. "You have no right to even stand _near _him let alone _be his best mate_!"

Scorpius knew who she was looking toward. Not Al, not innocent Al. Not the boy who was still stammering over his words behind him, trying to question what was going on.

The girl took a step forward, her eyes blazing, "It was because of _you _he was placed in that _vile_ House! He was supposed to be one of _us_! He had the courage and the name! A Potter should never be friends with a betrayer—with a _Malfoy_!"

Hearing his last name and the implications, Scorpius snapped. Before he knew it he was in front of her with his hands curled into fists and his fingernails cutting his palms. "Shut the fuck up, you _bitch_!" He snarled. Scorpius had dealt with the mistakes of his father his entire life. He couldn't see the wide-eyed crowd and he'd lost tabs on Al now. All of the anger from the day remounted and he could feel the blood pounding in his ears. Part of him knew she was right about the other thing.

He shouldn't be Al's friend.

He didn't deserve him.

"And don't talk like you _know_ him!" Scorpius hissed. If he were thinking, he'd have his wand out too.

The blues in her eyes were icy as she laughed once. "You know it's true, _Malfoy_." She flicked her wand a few times as she gave a handful of taunts. They fell on deaf ears as he finally reached for his wand, his security. She was swift to lift her own once more, "I'll personally make sure you can't _ever_ be near each other! Then he can come back! You're a waste!" Everything was happening too quickly.

Madness. She was simply mad. A small part in his mind wondered if she had liked Al, crushed when seeing the Sorting Hat give him away to the Slytherins, to the blonde boy he'd met on the train. To him, Scorpius Malfoy.

Just as she began to shout the spell, just as his hand wrapped around the familiar handle of his wand, _just then_ another's voice cut through.

Both tilted their heads. Scorpius saw it was the brown-haired girl he'd unnerved during breakfast. She screeched as she ran, "_I wanted to do it, _August_!_" Said girl hit August and she shrieked from shock, spluttering over the end of her spell. It shot off despite that and flew toward Scorpius' unarmed chest. All he could see was a spewing sliver of white as it closed in on him. His wand was slick with sweat. No time to move.

A hand curled around his arm and there was a desperate tug from Al, "Scor!"

Too slow.

Both boys shook hard and the gathered students gasped. Perhaps they thought it was just a daily fight, perhaps a really interesting one this time—not anymore. Not that they were in legitimate danger.

Scorpius felt the breath knock out of him and Al's grip went slack on his side. That beautiful green caught his grey and it felt like a small eternity as red hot heat flowed through their bodies; it poured from the Malfoy to the connected hand of the Potter. Maybe they cried out, maybe they were silent, but he couldn't tell regardless. He could only tremble uncontrollably in Al's weak hold, body tense and painful from the sensations running its course and the intense locked gaze. The unstoppable hex.

The world went black and the least Scorpius could do was wrap his arms around Al's head to shield him as they hit the ground.

**Hey, guys, it's Poptart again. The story has officially started. Hope we've caught your attention! Thank you for reading through the prologues and stay tuned for the next chapter! **

**Side Note: Have any Moaning Myrtle jokes? We love to hear Harry Potter pick up lines. ohoho**


	4. Tumbling

**CHAPTER FOUR: TUMBLING**

Struggling against the pressing blackness, Al opened his eyes- then promptly shut them again. Why on Earth was it so bright?

"Albus?"

Someone was calling him; the voice was vaguely familiar. The school nurse? Deciding to brave the sunlight, Al slowly opened his eyes again. He was right- the nurse, Madam Hopford, was leaning over his bed worriedly. But why the hell was he in the hospital wing?

If he thought hard enough, he could vaguely remember being outside with Scorpius. What had happened? _Think, Al, think! _There was a girl, wasn't there? And... a spell. Yes, a girl had hexed them, hadn't she?

Belatedly, Al looked around for his best friend. Spotting the blonde head on the bed pressed against his and judging that the Malfoy looked rather healthy for someone in the medical wing, he turned his attention to the hovering nurse. "What-" his voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "What happened?"

"You were hexed. How are you feeling?"

"But what did the hex _do_? Is Scorpius okay?"

She felt his forehead. "No fever..."

"Madam Hopford?"

"Yes, Albus?"

"Would you mind explaining to me what the hell is going on?" The older woman pursed her lips as if debating whether she should tell him or not. Giving into her internal battle after a few moments, she nodded once. "I'll be right back."

Sighing despondently, Al figured he could look around for some clues. There were a few potions on a nearby tray- maybe they could explain what had happened. It wasn't until he moved to stand up that he realized his hand was occupied.

And the thing occupying his hand? Scorpius'.

_Did I grab it in my sleep?_ he wondered. _Is that why Madam Hopford was acting so odd_? Embarrassed, he unlaced his fingers before his friend could wake up. He went to stand up again-

But he couldn't let go.

"Mr. Potter?"

At the sound of his name, the green-eyed boy turned. "Professor, what's going on? I..." he gestured to his hand still resting on the blonde's. "I can't let go."

"I'm afraid no one is really sure what exactly occurred," the headmistress began. "What we do know is that the hex did not go as planned." Al opened his mouth to interrupt, but she ignored him. "It was aimed at Mr. Malfoy, for starters. It was meant to keep him away from you. Had it gone correctly, he physically wouldn't be able to be near you."

"Then why-?"

"Since the spell didn't get pronounced right, it didn't work." she eyed the boys' hands resting on the crack between their beds. "You grabbed onto Mr. Malfoy when the messed up hex hit, causing the opposite effect."

Sensing the Slytherin's confusion, the headmistress elaborated. "You physically cannot move away from each other- the backfired hex has made it so that you have to remain in constant skin-on-skin contact."

Albus was silent for a moment. He glanced at the still sleeping blonde, dreading how he would react when he found out. Absently, he noticed how warm and _soft _the other boy's hand felt in his.

Remaining in contact couldn't be that bad, right? He doubted his ability to control his feelings while constantly touching Scor though… And he always got so uncomfortable when Al was near him!

_…I'm so screwed._

[-]

Anxiously, Al watched as his best friend woke up. Several expressions flitted across the blonde's face before settling on confusion.

"Al...?"

As he explained their situation, he could tell Scor was getting more and more pissed off. By the end, the Malfoy was positively glowering at the wall across from him.

"Please tell me those girls got thrown out."

Al winced. _Of course _Scor would ask that first. "Well, the one that hexed us - August something - got expelled. But the other girl only got suspended..."

The taller boy was practically radiating fury. "Are you telling me that that _bitch _is allowed back here?"

Al tried not to think about how hot the blonde looked when he was angry- but that didn't last long. The cold fire in his friend's eyes was far too intoxicating... Scorpius stood abruptly, pulling Al off the bed unceremoniously. Pausing, the blonde frowned at their still clasped hands and gave a little huff of annoyance. Trying to calm the other boy a little, Al squeezed his hand slightly in reassurance.

But then Scor donned that uncomfortable look again - the one he always got when Al stood too close - and the Potter regretted it immediately.

Al looked away, ashamed. Why was he always so damn _stupid _around Scorpius? Hormones got in the way and he acted on instinct... If he wasn't careful, he'd drive away his best friend with his awkward, poorly hidden feelings!

Coughing awkwardly, Al decided to explain the rest of their situation to his friend.

"The headmistress set up a set of teachers' rooms for us, where we can be in contact easily..."

Scor nodded stiffly and Al's heart plummeted. Was it really that bad having to touch him?

"How are we supposed to... shower and stuff?"

Al's face heated up. "I... I don't know."

They stood in uncomfortable silence for a few moments, attached by their hands, until Professor Longbottom walked in. Despite his predicament, Al beamed genuinely at the long-time Potter family friend. Neville smiled at the boys kindly, and led them to their new room. When they arrived, he told them the password to get in and left them alone again.

"Hungarian Horntail."

The door swung open, revealing a rather large, lavishly furnished living area. Upon further inspection, they found that their trunks had been packed up and placed in the bedroom- right in front of the bed.

The large, green, King-sized bed. That they had to share.

Sleeping in the same bed as your crush... What's the worst that could happen?

[-]

Oh, dear Merlin. He had to pee. But how the bloody hell was he supposed to do that while attached to Scorpius freaking Malfoy?

"Scor?"

The boy sitting next to him on the couch looked up from his Potions textbook. "Yeah?"

"I have to pee."

"Then go."

Al shot the blonde an incredulous look. "Have you already forgotten that we're kind of attached here?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "It's not like we've tried to test this connection yet; this is the perfect opportunity."

"I guess." Slowly, he moved his fingers, attempting to remove his hand from Scorpius' grasp. It was clear his body didn't want him to let go, but with a herculean effort, he managed to free his hand. Grinning triumphantly, he ran to the bathroom before the hex could pull him in again. The second he reached the wash room, he felt a tugging sensation. Brushing it off as a blooming headache, he did his business and washed his hands. Suddenly bracing his hands on either side of the sink, he stared into the mirror as a wave of pain swept through him. What was going on? The tugging feeling was only getting stronger, bringing the pain with it.

Before evening deciding to, he threw open the door, needing Scorpius- to _touch _Scorpius. The taller boy was standing outside the bathroom, clutching his sides in pain.

"Al, what-?"

Fuck being careful around Scor- Al reached out for his face roughly. Immediately, the pain ceased. Panting heavily, the two boys stared at each other, emerald eyes meeting silver.

Some experiment.

[-]

Night fell quickly. The two Slytherins, hands clasped again, set off for bed. They showered and brushed their teeth quickly, trying to avoid the agony of separation for too long.

Turning to face the wall, Al hurriedly got dressed in his pajamas. Already, he yearned for Scorpius' touch. A part of him wondered if his own feelings intensified the pain of not touching the other boy. Sighing dejectedly and deciding not to dwell on it, he climbed into bed.

Blushing fiercely, Al realized that Scor hadn't gotten into bed yet for a reason- he was still changing. The shorter of the two knew he should look away, but he couldn't. As he watched, the blonde pulled on a t-shirt, hiding his delicious back muscles from view. What Al wouldn't give to see more...

He averted his eyes quickly when Scorpius turned around and slid into the sheets. Wordlessly, their hands met under the blankets, both boys emitting soft sighs as the pain went away.

Al scooted a little closer to Scor, trying to get comfortable with his arm stretched across the bed. Again, his thoughts drifted to the soft hand in his. Was Scor's skin that smooth all over? The blonde yawned, pulling Al out of his musings. _Now is_ not_ the time to get hot and bothered over your best friend_, he mentally chided himself.

"Night, Scor."

"Night, Al."

Several hours later, the raven haired boy was finally drifting off. His subconscious, craving more of Scorpius' skin, had him moving closer in his sleep. His arms found their way around the other boy's middle, resting gently across the skin exposed there.

Snoring quietly, Al dreamed of doing the same thing, but he imagined both parties very much aware of it. There was quite a bit more kissing, too...

Al nuzzled into Scor's neck, a smile gracing his face. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wished with all his heart that, just like in his dream, Scor would wrap his arms around him too and kiss him until he forgot all his worries... But no. He just slept on, dreaming of stolen kisses and touches he knew would never really happen.


	5. Talking

**CHAPTER FIVE: TALKING**

It was very warm where he laid; warmth indescribably too good in his personal experience… and it seemed there was a magnetizing pulse in his body, directing him closer to the heat. A vibration deep within his chest thrummed away until he curled closer and wrapped himself around such, thus calming it. His subconscious felt as if it couldn't live without out whatever this was, even when he dreamed. However, in the haze of his content, there was a gentle tickling sensation on his cheek. _What is that?_ He tried to ignore the feeling, but it was too distracting from the pleasurable fever and it began to frustrate him. Slowly he climbed through the walls of his mind until his eyes slowly opened, blurry and tired.

It took longer than necessary to realize where the hell he was and who—who was**-**

Scorpius bit his lip hard to conceal the yelp of surprise.

The silver in his eyes flared when they rested on the muss of black hair tucked under his neck and brushing part of his face. His body stiffened and his jaw clenched. What should he do? A flush rose to his face when he noticed Al's fingers brushing against his stomach, the place where his shirt had ridden up earlier in the night. It was the skin**-**on**-**skin contact, right? That had to have drawn his best friend closer, just as he had gotten closer to him earlier.

"Al," Scorpius choked out; his voice didn't rouse the other boy.

_Shit, shit, shit._ How was he supposed to get up now? Scorpius quickly realized the warmth was coming from Al, and it felt too, too good mixed with the pull of the screwed up spell.

The blonde wriggled slightly, praying Al wouldn't wake up until _after_ he had detached him back to the original position with their hands—but the Potter merely mumbled something incompressible in his sleep and nuzzled a bit, his hair tickling the other again. The blush was quick to spring back on Scorpius' face. Damn. The Potter was sometimes too cute for his own good.

He used one of his free hands to toss the blanket off their bodies, trying to not look at how awkward their position was with Al practically draped over him and his own body curved to allow it.

As gracefully as Scorpius could manage, he plucked stray limbs and shifted Al's legs – how the hell did they manage to entangle in his own? – before taking a few deep breaths through his nose. If he moved Al's head, he was sure to awaken and ask what was going on. The Malfoy debated just slipping out under him and letting Al fall against the pillow… but he didn't really want to explain what had happened. _'Oh, sorry, Al, I rolled off the bed. Suddenly… and randomly. Yeah.' _Scorpius mentally face-palmed in exasperation. He was the biggest idiot.

As gently he as could get his voice, he murmured, "Al, wake up." The black-haired boy stirred. "It's Saturday… I don't want to sleep in." More like he didn't want to get in _awkward situations _if he thought too hard about what went on when they were sleeping.

"_Nnng_… Scor?" Slowly Al lifted off of Scorpius' neck and turned around, half-laying on his side and half**-**hovering over the other's face in his sleepiness. Two grey eyes widened and the blonde's mouth opened a bit, unsure what to say—_if he could say anything at all._ The Potter's eyes were half**-**lidded from drowsiness and a light pink was in his cheeks from sleeping so hard. "What're you doing in my bed?"

That sounded so… _wrong_. Not to mention Al's rosy cheeks and messy bed head.

Scorpius swallowed hard, trying desperately to tame his over-active imagination again. "Al, we're sleeping in the same bed because of…" he trailed off, hoping the other would catch on.

Al blinked once before the green suddenly flashed and the boy sat up all too quickly, a ferocious red in his face. "The hex!" He practically yelled his reply, startled by his actions.

The Malfoy couldn't help but crack a smile to reassure the flustered Potter. He wondered what had the other in such a deep sleep before, what with the messy appearance and all. When he began to speak, a sudden jolt of pain ripped through his body and he sucked in a breath of air instead, stunned. Across from him, Al made a noise of discomfort and their eyes met, thoughts flickering.

In his head, Scorpius could see the bathroom door being thrown open and Al rushing to him, eyes wild in desire and strain, hand outstretched.

Having caught the intense need to touch the other this time, Scorpius instantaneously sat up and his body practically moved on its own. In a whirl of color, he found himself with his fingers gripping the sheets and a wincing, breathless Al beneath him. One of Scorpius' hands went to touch the Potter's and it was as if all air returned to their lungs, soft gasping filling the room. Then it hit him what he had just done.

_ Oh. _

The determined expression melted off his face and Scorpius took in the scene under him. Straddled with black hair tangled which way and panting, it almost looked like—

The Malfoy got off, this time remembering to keep their hands connected, and sat on the side of the bed facing away from Al. "I didn't think it would hurt us," was the least he could say, sounding detached. Scorpius felt the beginnings of self**-**directed anger burning in his veins until the forgotten vexation returned in full remembrance. _What am I doing? I'm stepping out of line._ Shame with a mixture of embarrassment burned in his face and he didn't want Al to have to see it.

There came a hesitated rustle of sheets before Al edged closer, not quite beside him, but uncertainly behind. He wondered if he had gotten the other afraid. "We didn't know," There was a pause where Scorpius was sure Al's fingers almost tightened in his own, "It's okay."

Scorpius laughed a bit and turned to look at those worried green eyes, not quite feeling like himself. It was hard enough to suddenly have to be touching Al all the time; the thought was completely based on his previous problems when it came to proximity, anyway. Not being able to control what he did was worse. "Al, it's not okay," He said slowly, "What would happen if we were separated too long? Would we die?"

Al averted his eyes to rest on their hands. It was a while before he said, "I won't let that happen, Scorpius."

"…We don't even know when it will stop," he couldn't stop himself from saying. _You'll be in pain for who knows how long… and it's _my_ fault. _

Al's emerald green eyes narrowed and he lifted his downturned head to evenly meet Scorpius' gaze. However, not a word got past his lips when there came a blunt rapping at their door.

[ - ]

"So, um, here's the letter."

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

Could things get any more awkward? He should've seen this coming.

Tousled red hair, wind**-**blown from probably running, encased her upper form and bright eyes watched their every move. The short girl before them was practically radiating curiosity in itself, and a small smile kept trying to slip past her mask of seriousness. Who was this young girl? Lily Potter from the Gryffindor House.

Beside him, Al let go of his hand and quickly ripped open his envelope, chewing on his lip absentmindedly as he did. Scorpius occupied himself by pressing a nail into his thumb to remind himself not to go into a hex**-**fit in front of his little sister. Little sister...

The Malfoy let his gaze drift anywhere else but the redhead, but it didn't stop the fact that her green eyes were repeatedly going from her brother to him every few seconds. He cleared his throat.

"What's it say?" He asked gruffly.

Al grinned as he looked back, "Hogwarts told my parents about the hex. They just wished me luck and all that good stuff—said they're sending some get**-**well gifts too."

Lily abruptly hopped closer to them, smiling widely, "The teachers wouldn't let us see you, Albus! At first we were all worried… I'm glad nothing happened to you! When they said they had a letter for you, I volunteered first." The girl turned her attention to Scorpius and he swallowed uncertainly. "What about you? Are _you _okay?"

He built his wall of nonchalance, "I'm fine." Brief. Good.

The Gryffindor seemed disappointed, almost as if she were waiting for him to say something else. There was a silence where she simply analyzed the both of them. Al tossed the letter on a nearby table and silently slid his fingers into Scorpius'. The blonde wondered if Lily was throwing him off as well. He felt Al's hand give a subtle twitch when she pointedly looked at the space between them.

"What's it like?" She asked.

"…What's _what_ like?" Al's voice was weary.

Lily snorted, impatient. "You know what I mean! Being stuck to your best friend!"

Stuck? Scorpius would've answered if it didn't feel so wrong. Maybe if he hadn't said those things to Al before she arrived.

The older Potter sent a cautious look his way. It wasn't hard to figure out what the message was. Scorpius dipped his head a little in acknowledgement; he wouldn't mention the pain there was when they separated.

"Uh, it's okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Lily didn't look like she liked the fact her brother was the only one answering, so she glared at Scorpius, eyes fierce to get something out of him this time. "Al doesn't bother you, does he?"

"No. He's my best mate for a reason, _Little _Potter."

Usually Lily would rattle off about the nickname. She wasn't interested in that today. The redhead cocked her head to the side, "What about the hard things?"

_Don't think in the gutter. _"We get by them the best we can." Part of him just wanted to toss her out the door and be done with it. His short fuse was already crackling.

Lily leaned back on the heels of her feet in contemplation, her lips pursed. She surprised them both when she walked around them and observed their new living space. She grunted something to herself and Al reached his other hand out toward her, as if he were going to grab her. Scorpius could easily see the building embarrassment and exasperation coming onto the older Potter's face. Meanwhile, the cheek the blonde usually bit onto was beginning to have a metallic taste.

"Lily, what are you doi**-**?" Al's voice garbled off and he awkwardly stepped forward, tugging Scorpius with him.

The redhead stood right before their huge, luxury teacher's bed, her hands on her hips and the widest of grins on her face. "I thought so!" She chirped, giving it a pat for measure.

What the hell is even going on anymore**-**? The Malfoy opened his mouth then closed it; he repeated this a few more times. What could he possibly say to _that_? He clenched his free hand and tried his best not to blush. What was she thinking anyway?

If Al was embarrassed before, he looked terribly bad now. The Slytherin Potter yanked Scorpius along until he could spin Lily around to face them. She was practically glowing. "Lily! Wh**-**why are you even saying that**-**?" Al spluttered.

She smiled impishly, "Since the hex was said to keep you guys together, I was just wondering how you slept at night!" Both boys grew ridged. "I was right when I thought it was the same bed!"

Al shook his head wordlessly and shot Scorpius a look of apology. The blonde could feel the sweat on the nape of his neck so he quickly said, "Hey, we have to get ready. We're still in our night clothes." He was blunt about it, deciding it was best that way.

"I have so many more questions though!" She exclaimed, now being dragged to the door by her brother. "Like, what do you do for showers, you kno—?" The door slamming close blocked the end of her sentence.

When the boys met each other's eyes, they turned away, blushing hot and linked by their hands.

It wasn't hard to remember what had happened when they woke up.

_Damn it all._

[ - ]

**A-ahh! So many kind reviews…! Oreo and I are really happy about that, you guys! Glad my Scorpius seems to appease you all too. ;; He's such a temperamental angsty thing.**

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter (and silly Lily)! I'll let Oreo take the next away~**


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